Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) Continued Research

The Partnership for Analysis and Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) is a sole-source research initiative managed by the Department of Transportation's Volpe National Transportation System Center. The contract is awarded to the Mitre Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) to execute Phase IV of the program, which involves the independent analysis of vehicle safety performance. By leveraging non-federal vehicle-level data from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and federal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the project focuses on evaluating advanced driver assistance systems, automatic emergency braking, and injury mitigation technologies. Awarded under FAR 6.302-3, the contract is justified as a sole-source action due to Mitre's status as a non-profit Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) and its unique, irreplaceable trust relationships with both government agencies and automotive manufacturers. Key requirements for the contractor include strict operational independence from both the government and industry to protect proprietary intellectual property and ensure analytical integrity. Performance is based in McLean, Virginia, with a period of performance extending through February 28, 2027. Primary deliverables include aggregate safety performance analyses and the validation of pre-crash typologies to inform federal safety policy.